The following are extractions from two companion books, the first A History of Czechs (Bohemians) in Nebraska, compiled by Rose Rosicky and published by the Czech Historical Society of Nebraska in 1929. Rosicky used several sources to write about Czech emigrants of the 19th century, including the records of her father John Rosicky, historian and publisher of the popular (Nebraska) Czech newspaper, Hospodar. The book begins with insightful introductions and continues with interesting stories of the pioneers’ (hard) lives, their names, years of arrival, their birthplaces, some birth and death dates,occupations, and photos of pioneers, houses, downtowns, churches, etc. Interlibrary loan service found this book at University of Florida Library.

The second book, Nebraska, Kansas Czech Settlers, 1891-1895, compiled by Margie Sobotka, is based on the extensive data gathered by Frank Mares as he traveled Nebraska and part of Kansas. Mares’s data was published as articles in the Czech newspaper Hospodar in 1891-95. Some pioneers appear in both books. This second book includes township plats with landowners’ names, the specific address of a property, acres owned or rented and a surname index in addition to names, years of arrival, birthplaces, and more. Interlibrary loan service found this book at Liberal Memorial Library, Liberal, Kansas.

I selected names of people whose birthplaces were in or near Trebon (in Jindrichuv Hradec county in South Bohemia), a few in that county and not near Trebon, a few near Trhove Sviny, some near Vysoke Myto, and certain villages near Rychnov nad Kneznou and Kostelec. The same village, Podrezov, was sometimes stated as near Rychnov and sometimes Kostelec.

A recommended book re: Nebraska pioneers is Saline County Roots — Stories & Genealogies from the Crete News Quasquicentennial Series 1992-1993, edited by Sandra J. Breitkreutz.

People who went from Oxford Twp. to Nebraska & Kansas

Bek/Beck, Vaclav/Wenzel/Winsel – b. 1826 & arrived Oxford Mills 1855 w/wife Teresa Pavlista. May have traveled with Frank Sabata as both were from the same area in Bohemia (Bek from Podrezov, near Vamberk, and Sabata from north of there) and both went on to NE. Bek went to NE in 1868 per Habenicht and 1870 per another source. He d. in Wilber in 1900.

Cada, Jakub b. 1807 in Trebon area and probably Hrdlorezy, emigrated with his family to Wisconsin in 1858. His son Matej/Mathew Cada b. 1840 (in Hrdlorezy?) migrated from WI to NE soon after the Civil War. He m. Johanna Fritchek and had 12 kids. A shoemaker and town marshall, he lived on a farm. No known connection to the Cada at O.J. but they were from Hrdlorezy, too, so it is likely that they were related.

Cerny, John & wife Anna Dolezal (dau. of John & Helen). Anna was b. in Jones Co. IA in 1871, m. Cerny in OK in 1891, went to NE ca. 1900, had 4 children.

Chaloupka, John and wife Katerina Pirko came from near Kostelec nad Orlici in Bohemia to the U.S. in 1855, to Jackson County and then Jones County (OJ area) after March of 1860. Their son Frank b. 1840 m. Anna Sacora and went to NE sometime after the 1870 census (enumerated in June or July).

Cink, Vaclav & wife Anna Maule were in NE by 1887. I don’t know if they had come from Oxford Jct. but their son Frank m. Emma Koranda and their dau. Frances m. 1st Joseph Koranda and 2nd Frank Koranda (there were Korandas in Oxf. Jct.). There are genealogists who have researched the Cinks if you want to pursue it.

Divoky — Mary (Divoky) Lampman, deceased, of Ohio wrote A Genealogy of the Divoky Family in 1996. It includes Divoky from Suchdol nad Luznici and Hrdlorezy who emigrated to NE. They were related to the O.J. Divoky who were from Hrdlorezy.

Dolezal, John & wife Helen Nespor arrived Oxf. Twp. Nov. 1866 from Dzbanov, Bohemia, and went with the Friouf & Kubert families to NE in 1872 or 73 per one source or 1875 per the Kubert genealogy — where their farm is still in the family. Helen’s mother, Barbora Jilek Nespor, d. in NE in 1877. Helen d. in NE in 1919 as Helen Dostal, having m. Frank Dostal in NE in ca. 1878/79. John d. in NE Aug. 19, 1878 in NE. John & Helen had 8 kids, the youngest 3 b. in NE including Anton b. 1873 (indicating that 1875 is incorrect or that the Dolezals went to NE earlier than Kubert & Friouf). Needs more research.

Dudek, John & Joseph. Not positive they were in O.J. Jos. arr. NE 1878, John by the early 1890s.

Dusil, Frank from Podrezov near Vamberk, Bohemia arrived Oxf. Twp. before 1869 as he arrived in Saline Co., NE in 1869 from OJ. Frank was killed by a runaway team (of horses) on 13 July 1873. Ed Dusil b. Podrezov was in NE “early”. I don’t know if Ed was from Oxford Twp.

Dvorak, Frank, in Oxf. Twp. before or by 1870 cuz was in KS in 1870, having come from IA. I don’t know if he is related to the Dvoraks from O.J. who were from Kojakovice, South Bohemia.

Friouf/Freeouf family from Dzbanov was in Oxf. Twp. & went to NE in 1875 by wagon with the Kubert and Dolezal families. The John Friouf & wife Anna in the book Saline County Roots were from Washington IA and went to Saline Co., NE in 1874-76. John & Anna’s son John & his wife (m. 1874) Marie Kostecka lived n.w. of Wilber NE. Jos. and Vaclav Friouf were from Dzb. and in Saline Co., NE, per 1 of the 2 books in the page SODBUSTERS. Janet Jeffries said Frioufs were in Crete NE. The Friouf information needs to be reworked as I have conflicting data.

Hensley, R. G., perhaps not from O.J., m. a daughter of John Panuska and his wife Jennie Koun of Oxford Jct. John was a blacksmith, born in Bohemia. Hensleys went to NE by 1914.

Humpal, Vaclav and Karel (Charles or Carl) were from Oxford Jct. IA, went to NE.

Korbel, John I (the first) & his 2nd or 3rd wife Anna Maxa Benda arrived in Oxf. Twp. in 1862 and were in NE in 1870. From Hrdlorezy, South Bohemia, he d. in 1897 in NE. See John II.

Korbel, John II & wife Anna Kadjedlo (sp?) arrived Oxf. Twp. in 1862 probably with his father, and went to NE in 1872 by oxen & covered wagons, taking 6 wks, to claim 160 acres from the U.S. Government.

Korbel, Joseph was probably a son of John Korbel I. Joseph, from Hrdlorezy in South Bohemia, from Oxford Jct., was in NE per Nebraska, Kansas Czech Settlers, 1891-95.

Korbel, Michael m. Otillie or Delia Sacora, dau. of Mike & Francis Sacora of O.J., in 1871 and went to NE in 1875.

Kostichek/Kostecka, Vince?, son of Frank Kostecka (1829-1909) and Mary Skelar (Sklenar??) of O.J. since 1864, went to Crete NE and was there in 1919. Not found in Oxford Twp. in the 1870 census, Vince might already have gone to NE by then.

Kubert, Frank was in Jackson Co. IA earlier than when he bought land in Oxf. Twp. in 1874, and perhaps in Oxford Mills in 1856. His son Joseph (1838-1931) was the Kubert who went with Friouf’s & Dolezal’s to NE in 1875. From the Kubert genealogy by GraceTurner: in 1874 he married again at 35 yrs of age to Anna ‘Kunce’ Heitman (widow of Henry Heitman) of Pleasant Hill, Saline Co, NE……..They immediately returned to IA & farmed for one year. On March 19, 1875 Joseph Kubert of Monmouth, Jackson Co. IA bought from the Burlington and Missouri River RR Co. the….. consisting of 160 acres in Saline Co. NE for ….$658. In 1875 they moved by wagon overland in company with John Freeouf’s family to Wilber, taking 26 days to make the trip. They settled 9 mi. west of Wilber where they lived for 47 years.

Marecek, Vaclav, arrived in Oxf. Twp. 1867 to 87. A shoemaker, he sold his property in 1888 and went to Crete, NE.

Nespor, John & wife Barbara Jilek and 3 children came from Dzbanov to the U.S. in Nov. 1866, to O.J., then to NE in ca. 1870. Janet Jeffries has a photo of John & Barb, her ancestors. Their dau. Helena m. 1. John Dolezal, then ____ Dostal, lived in Saline Co., NE. John & Barb.’s son John d. 1885 still in O.J. but his dau. Mary m. John Bryson and they lived in Crete, NE.

Prokop, Frank arrived in Oxf. Twp. by or in 1854 with wife Barbara and traveling with Frank Pavlista & family, all from Podrezov near Vamberk, Bohemia. Prokops had 12 children by 1870 and went to NE in 1867 or 68 per one source, after 1870 per another source, but before his brother, Wenzel Prokop who arrived in NE in supposedly 1869 per yet another source. Frank lived in Swan City, NE. See Wenzel Prokop.

Prokop, Wenzel (Vincel/Vincenc/Vaclav) arrived in Oxf. Twp. in July of 1866 with wife Anna Barvinek & children, from Podrezov near Vamberk, Bohemia. Born in 1828, he grew to over 6 ft. tall, had been an army officer and emperor’s bodyguard in Bohemia. The teenage Josef Pavlista came with them. Pavlista was the younger brother of Frank Pavlista who came earlier with Frank Prokop who was brother of Wenzel. When Prokops left for NE in 1869, Josef Pavlista purchased or was gifted their farm in the n.e. part of the township. Both Pavlistas stayed in O.J. Prokops lived in a sod house per book Saline County Roots. Their family photo of 1893 is in that book Wenzel and Anna had 9 children including Henry the youngest who farmed “the home place” which was a 100 year farm (in the same family for 100 years or more) in 1973.

Roubinek, Frank (1858-1937) and wife Julia Sobotka of Oxford Jct. had 8 children, 4 of whom moved to Nebraska: Joe Roubinek, J.A. Roubinek, a daughter who m. Antone Culek, all in Omaha, and Arthur Roubinek who went to Norfolk, NE. The ones b. in Bohemia were not from the Trebon area.

Sabata, Frank was in Jones Co. IA in 1854 per A History of Czechs in NE. He went to Saline Co., NE, arriving with Vaclav Bek, and farmed. Sabata was b. 1827, from Dlouha Ves or Roven near Rychnov nad Kneznou which is north of Bek’s Podrezov. There was a Joseph Sabata in Saline Co., too, relationship to Frank unknown to me.

Sazma, Mathias born in Hrdlorezy, South Bohemia per his baptismal certificate in the O.J. museum, arrived in Oxf. Twp. in 1876. He m. Anna Divoky in the USA, went to Aten, NE in 1896, by August, but back to OJ in 1900. Had 7 kids — maybe some stayed in NE.

Shimerda (Simerda in Czech), John, son of Anton Shimerda & Katerina Zabokatsky of O.J., m. in 1885 Katie Kostecka/Kostichek b. ca. 1866. They went to Wilber per one source and to Swanton NE per another.

Sklenar, Martin arrived in Oxf. Twp. 1860-73 with wife Terezie Novacek, went to KS in 1873. I don’t know if Sklenar was from the Trebon area where there were Sklenars.

Sobotka, John Sr. (1834-1915) and his wife Josephine Svoboda came to Oxford Twp. in 1889 or 91. Two of their daughters went to Omaha, NE with their husbands Frank Havlichek and Joseph Matejka. Matejkas later went from Omaha to Denver CO.

Stepanek went to Saline Co., NE, to Wilber. I’m not sure if this is the same Stepanek who arrived in Oxford Twp. 1856-66 with a wife & son Frank & another son & 3 daughters. Frank, b. 1844, had lived in O.J. “for a number of years”, m. Francis Sacora, had 3 kids, and d. in Omaha NE in 1912. Frank’s brother d. in NE in ca. 1908, and their sister who had married a Butler went to KS.

VanSickle, Oscar from OH and not Czech, was in Oxf. Twp. by 1881, moved to KS by Fall of 1881 per one source. He built a store building in OJ in 1882 per another source. Delbert Hodgden might have information as he has VanSickle lineage.